Daily Current Affairs 23rd June, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 23 June 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Odisha CM announces special scheme to provide financial support to orphans
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a special scheme to provide financial support to the orphans.

• The scheme named as “Aashirbad“, is meant to offer financial support to the orphan children, who have lost both their parents, or either of the earning parents or the single parent.
• Under the scheme, different slabs of financial support, the maximum being Rs. 2500 per month, have been envisioned for such children in distress who been orphaned on or after the 1st of April 2020.

Tamilnadu CM inaugurates Minnagam consumer grievance redressal centre in Chennai
Tamilnadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin inaugurated Minnagam, a consumer grievance redressal centre in Chennai. The State Government said that consumers of electricity in the State can report their grievances to the Centre through mobile phone.

• The centre will be functional 24 hours, to handle complaints. All the complaints would be passed on to the related executive engineers in the districts.
• He also launched a scheme for Sri Lankan Tamils living in the state. The Government will spend Rs five crore 42 lakh for the scheme. Each family will be given Rs. 4000 as Covid relief.

Gujarat govt gives in-principle approval to Rs 102 cr scheme to prevent marine salinity entering in coastal villages of Saurashtra
Gujarat government has given in-principle approval to a scheme worth 102 crore rupees to prevent marine salinity entering in the coastal villages of Saurashtra.

• Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has approved the scheme keeping in view the long-term interest of lakhs of citizens and villages in the area.
• With this scheme, around 2100 hectares of land in 23 villages of Gir Somnath district will become more fertile.

Govt announces establishment of five Divyangta Khel Kendras in country
Government announced establishment of five Divyangta Khel Kendras in different parts of country.

• Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot has said the decision has been taken looking at the interest towards the sports among the Divyangjan and their good performance in Paralympics.
• The Minister informed that the central government has released 8.06 crore rupees fund to Gujarat under Scholarship program benefitting 2808 beneficiaries.
• He said, 709 Railway stations, 10,175 Bus Stations and 683 websites have been covered under Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan.

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani e-launches Agricultural Diversification Scheme-2021
In Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani e-launched Agricultural Diversification Scheme-2021 benefiting vanbandhu- farmers in tribal areas.

• Under this scheme tribal farmers will get fertilizer-seed assistance of Rs. 31 crores in which 45 kg of urea, 50 kg of NPK and 50 kg of ammonium sulphate will be provided.
• Seeds of crops like maize, Bitter Melon (karela), Calabash (dudhi), tomato, millet, etc. are provided under this scheme.

Andhra Pradesh Governor releases Special Postal Cover brought out by India Post on Intl Yoga Day
Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan has released a Special Postal Cover brought out by India Post on the occasion of International Yoga Day at a programme held in Raj Bhavan.

• Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan said, Yoga is a 5,000-year-old tradition originated in our country that combines physical, mental and spiritual pursuits to achieve harmony of the body and mind.

NHRC constitutes 7-member committee to enquire into complaints of post poll violence in West Bengal
Following the Calcutta High Court’s order, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has constituted a committee to enquire into the complaints of post poll violence in West Bengal. The seven member committee will be  headed by NHRC Member, Rajeev Jain.

• It will examine all cases of post poll violence in the state, complaints for which have already been received or which may be received in the  Commission.

India hosts two-day summit on Green Hydrogen initiatives
India is all set to host a two-day summit on Green Hydrogen initiatives involving the BRICS nations.

• The prestigious event offers a platform to share their respective Green Hydrogen initiatives and views on how to take it to the next level in their own countries.
• The event will be anchored by India’s state-run power major NTPC.
• The virtual summit will bring the best brains, policy makers and major stakeholders from the BRICS nations deliberating and discussing at length the future of hydrogen in the energy mix.

India and Fiji sign MoU for cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors field
India and Fiji have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. 

• The MoU provides for cooperation in the fields of Dairy Industry, Rice Industry, Root crop diversification, Water Resources Management, Coconut Industry, Food Processing Industry, Agriculture Mechanization, and Horticulture Industry.
• It also provides for cooperation in the fields of  Agricultural Research, Animal Husbandry, Pest and Disease, Cultivation, Value Addition and Marketing, Post-Harvest and Milling, and Breeding and Agronomy.

Sports University, Patiala to set-up Milkha Singh Chair
After the passing of legendary track and field athlete Milkha Singh of Covid-19 related complications, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced that a chair will be established after Milkha Singh’s name at the Sports University, Patiala.

• Milkha became the first Indian athlete to win an individual gold at the Commonwealth Games, which led to then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declaring a national holiday on his request.

BANKING & FINANCE

Govt Eases Listing Norms for Companies Having Over Rs 1 Lakh Cr M-cap
Companies that have a market capitalisation of more than Rs 1 lakh crore at the time of listing can now sell just five per cent of their shares, with the latest amendment in rules, a move that will be beneficial for the government during the proposed initial public offer of LIC.

• Such entities will be required to increase its public shareholding to 10 per cent in two years and raise the same to at least 25 per cent within five years.

Finance Ministry Allows HFCs Above Rs 100 Cr To Use To SARFAESI Law
The Finance Ministry has now allowed all housing finance companies with asset size of over ₹100 crore to use SARFAESI law to recover dues.

• This move is expected to be a shot in the arm for thousands of small HFCs, as it will facilitate quick recovery of dues and encourage these companies to lend more.
• SARFAESI law, enacted in 2002, empowers lenders to attach the pledged assets of the borrowers in the event of non-payment of dues.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Defence Ministry signs contract with Goa Shipyard Ltd for construction of 2 Pollution Control Vessels for Indian Coast Guard
The Defence Ministry has signed a contract with Goa Shipyard Ltd for construction of two Pollution Control Vessels for Indian Coast Guard.

• The Defence Ministry has said that it has been done at a cost of about Rs 583 crore. It said that the acquisition is under ‘Buy Indian – Indigenously Designed Developed & Manufactured’, the highest priority category for defence capital procurements.
• The vessels, with capability of operating helicopters onboard, will have many advanced features with modern Pollution Response equipment of niche technology for containing, recovering and dispersing marine oil spills. These two vessels are scheduled for delivery by November 2024 and May 2025 respectively.

HPCL to set up grain based ethanol plant in Himachal’s Una district
In Himachal Pradesh, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has decided to set up a grain based ethanol plant in Una district.

• This plant would have a capacity to generate 125 KL ethanol per day.
• Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said, these projects would be set up at a cost of 400 crore rupees and would provide direct and indirect employment to about 300 persons.

Samsung Sets up Display Manufacturing Unit in Uttar Pradesh
Electronics major Samsung has completed the construction of the display manufacturing unit that is shifted from China to Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

• This is being considered as a major boost to the Make in India initiative. Samsung’s latest move will be another addition to the ‘Make in India’ program which emphasizes manufacturing products on Indian soil.

SPORTS

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Becomes Second Fastest Woman Of All-Time Ahead
Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became the second-fastest woman of all-time behind 100 metres world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner when she clocked 10.63 seconds at a meet in Kingston.

• American Griffith-Joyner still holds the women’s 100m world record of 10.49 seconds, set in Indianapolis in 1988, as well as the three fastest times ever, with 10.61 and 10.62, also in 1988.

APPOINTMENTS

Armenia’s acting PM, Nikol Pashinyan win parliamentary election
Armenia’s acting Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and his Civil Contract Party won a parliamentary election with 53.92 per cent votes.

• With 30% of results declared, Pashinyan’s party had 58.52% of the vote, compared with 18.56% for former President Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia Alliance, the RIA news agency reported, citing the Central Election Commission (CEC).

AWARDS

KK Shailaja Awarded Prestigious CEU Open Society Prize For 2021
The Central European University (CEU) Open Society Prize for 2021 has been awarded to KK Shailaja, the former Health Minister of Kerala.

• The University’s highest honour was given to her at a virtual convocation of the University’s 30th Graduation Ceremony that was held from Vienna.
• Shailaja has been awarded the Open Society Prize 2021 for her community-based public health work and determined leadership at saving lives during the pandemic.

Mawya Sudan Becomes IAF’s 1st Woman Fighter Pilot From J&K
Mawya Sudan, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, has become the first woman fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Rajouri district, J & K. 

• Hailing from the village of Lamberi, of Border Tehsil of Nowshera in Rajouri, she commissioned into the IAF as Flying Officer.
• Mawya has become the 12th woman officer and first from Rajouri to be inducted as a fighter pilot in the IAF.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

‘Sakshama’, COVID helpline for specially abled rolled out in Bengaluru
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state COVID Task Force head Dr C N Ashwatha Narayana rolled out Sakshama COVID helpline for specially abled in Bengaluru.

• This dedicated COVID helpline 0120 690 4999 can be used by specially abled persons to seek the benefits of Government welfare programmes.
• The helpline will be of aid to specially abled people for BPL card or even for job opportunities.

ARDE, Pune develops State-of-the-Art Canopy Severance System for fighter aircraft which helps safe ejection of pilot in distress
All modern aircraft are equipped with a Canopy Severance System (CSS), which is an escape path clearance system for the pilot in case of emergencies occurring on the aircraft.

• State-of-the-art CSS has been developed ab-initio at Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune in association with High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune, for the indigenously developed LCA Tejas and Trainer Aircraft, HJT-36 Aircraft and HTT-40 Aircraft. It provides safe passage by pre-weakening/severing the canopy to facilitate the smooth escape of the pilot in the shortest possible time.
• CSS has two independent sub-systems. The first one is the In-flight Egress System (IES) for in-flight emergencies, which is integrated with the seat ejection operation and the second one is the Ground Egress System (GES) for on-ground emergencies, which is independent of seat ejection. CSS works on the principle of controlled propagation of detonation using explosive mechanical energy.

OBITUARIES

Former Indian Athletics Team Coach Yuri Ogorodnik passes away
Former Indian athletics coach Yuri Ogorodnik, who was sacked for his alleged involvement in the infamous 2011 dope scandal, has died at his native place in Ukrainey. He was 84.

• He was associated with Indian athletics for nearly two decades since the early 2000s, training the Indian athletes during his multiple stints.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Widows Day
June 23 is observed as International Widows Day by the United Nation in a bid to create awareness about the situation of widows across many parts of the world.

• The theme for this year’s International Widow Day is “Invisible Women, Invisible Problems”.

International Olympic Day
Every year on 23 June, International Olympic Day is celebrated across the world.

• The day was initially observed to promote the idea of the Olympics and in order to celebrate the establishment of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
• The theme of International Olympic Day 2021 is Stay healthy, stay strong, stay active with the #OlympicDay workout.

United Nations Public Service Day
Every year on June 23, the United Nations Public Service Day recognises the value and virtue of public service to the community.

• The theme this year is “Innovating the Future Public Service: New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]”.

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